Stirrup Spout Vessel in Form of a Man Laying on a Bird c. 100 - 500

Curator: The title of this intriguing object is "Stirrup Spout Vessel in Form of a Man Laying on a Bird." Created by the Moche people, probably sometime between 100 and 500 CE, it resides here at the Art Institute of Chicago. Editor: It evokes a sense of peaceful submission, almost as if the man is surrendering himself to the embrace of this avian creature. The monochromatic surface unifies the disparate forms into one whole. Curator: The use of the stirrup spout is quite interesting from a structural point of view, as is its employment across various forms throughout Andean history. Here, the two spouts emerge seamlessly from the body, one representing the bird's head, the other, rising behind the human figure. Editor: The bird itself is a rich symbolic emblem. Birds, of course, mediate between the earthly and the celestial realms, embodying freedom, foresight, even spiritual transcendence. This Moche vessel blurs those boundaries in its symbolic fusion. Do you notice the small bird carved by the reclining man’s arm? Curator: Indeed. Note also the pronounced linearity used in the carving throughout. The minimal surface modeling places emphasis on two-dimensional contours which, paradoxically, underscore its volume. The use of earthenware as material has interesting implications as well, no? Editor: The reddish earthen hue reinforces this idea of grounding, literally returning the figure, and us as viewers, to the earth, despite the avian associations. It reminds us that even our highest aspirations are rooted in our physical existence. Perhaps ritual offerings were once held in the body of the bird, intended for an agricultural cycle. Curator: You are ascribing function based on symbol. The formal reading shows the impossibility of confirming this as one sees the very small opening as the vessel is not readily suitable for ritual libations. From a construction perspective, one can certainly discuss the negative space within the spout as an aesthetic achievement. Editor: Well, perhaps the aesthetic is the ritual. Regardless, by merging man and bird, this ceramic vessel invites meditation on interconnectedness. It whispers of shared destiny and a cyclical return to origins, just like the turn of the earth. Curator: Certainly, its masterful manipulation of form does open an array of interpretative possibilities.